I have mentioned multiple times that vonBiomes was hit hard by the DLC7 and the Editor Updates - and I had to redo a good chunk of the mod again, especially the dynamic lighting system and weather effects. While getting improved in consequential updates after, it was still undergoing polishing and step-by-step improvement. But with the new version of vonBiomes 25, things leap ahead...
During the winter holidays, I took some extra efforts to push the visuals further - and here is a new release with a shiny and widely improved quality update for the dynamic mission lighting, weather effects, and looks. As usual, be sure that no other lighting mod overrides vonBiomes; otherwise, the whole system and much content gets cut. And since I wanted to finally raise the version to a full number again, a new biome is also included: the Yucca Forest!
vonBiomes 25 Mod Download:
Direct Mod Download: https://www.patreon.com/posts/148330246
or on Steam & Nexus.
Whats new in vonBiomes 25:
Lighting and visuals upgrade
I am finally quite satisfied with the new vonBiomes 25 lighting. Missions under the wide range of dynamic conditions - from 100+ skybody variation to sun classes, orbits, space nebulas, atmosphere types, terrain coloring, foliage coloring, and more - have now a widely stable visual quality. Weather effects, and especially fog conditions, are also updated and vastly improved.
Be sure to check the mod options - I recommend the noted standard values, and from there you can fine tune e.g. saturation or contrast, to adjust for your monitor and likings.
I have tested many new missions, and so far, things look good on my end. It is recommended to leave Atmosphere Sunlight on YES (that's the standard setting) and you can activate, if you are on a modern GPU, also Global Illumination (GI) for further improved looks. Furthermore, having High Quality Clouds on ON makes things better for cloud rendering, logically.
If you like, please share some screenshots on my Discord here: https://discord.gg/eaTa8zGbRf
New Biome: Yucca Forest
The Yucca Forest is a missing link between the Shrubland and temperate forests/jungles: yucca trees are the primary vegetation with large leafy trees towering above. The biome's objects are not driven with a new advanced system: the vonBiomes Destructible Object Framework.
Destructible Object Framework
I have built a new general system to better work with in-biome objects and to streamline production and also improve runtime by using one system for everything. This is a big step forward under the hood, and the new system allows to create destructible objects that randomize appearances (check the the many Yucca Tree variations in the new biome) dynamically on load. Also, it will be used in the future for all kinds of objects for biomes, which will help to make new things and functionalities for those objects possible.
New Trucks
In vanilla Mechwarrior 5, there is one (1) Truck model. I have extended the base and already included 10 new vehicles, from cranes to ambulances, new vans, a tow truck, futuristic trucks, and more. A little side quest for more variety, and all include destruction models, too!
New Special Tiles:
Two new special tiles are part of the new version, too: a harbor/port with randomized ships (as in sea vessels), and a military spaceport with tanks and even Mechs waiting to be loaded onto an Overlord dropship. The latter I myself have never seen in-game so far, so I keep my fingers crossed everything works as intended. ;)
So - vonBiomes 25 has become a large and essential update. It includes additionally many small fixes and improvements, twisting knobs and gears here and there, optimizing some meshes for performance, and making little fixes along the way.
I hope the new lighting system runs also well on your end - if you encounter any breaking issues, please ideally drop me a message on Discord alongside a screenshot of the problem, and I can take a closer look: https://discord.gg/eaTa8zGbRf - And also if things are working as expected and you like the new visual level and quality: I love to see screenshots too, how it looks at your end :)
Thanks a lot for the support, and ehy... Happy New Year 2026, Mechwarrior! 🥂✨
Cheers and all the best!
-vonSeiten